This study examined body fatness and its association with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) accounting for disability status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This study involved a secondary data analysis from a previous study of 62 pwMS. Body fatness was indirect measured as body mass index (BMI), and CRF was measured as peak oxygen consumption from an incremental exercise test with spirometry. Participants were allocated into 3 different groups based on established BMI categories (ie, normal, overweight, and obese), and data were analyzed using SPSS.

The findings suggest that BMI has a negative impact on CRF in pwMS, with a marked reduction in CRF for those classified as obese compared to those in the normal and overweight category.

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As you can see BMI negatively associated with cardiovascular fitness. This was even after controlling for age, gender, disease duration, and disability level. Over 50% of the participants in this study were either overweight or obese (BMI 25-40). Moreover, obese participants were more likely to have to have 3/more co-morbidities and 40% more likely to be in the moderate/severe disability category. Equally, those with high physical activity were statistically marginally more likely to have a decrease in co-morbidity (P=0.054). http://multiple-sclerosis-research.b...is+Research%29